Cutting device for heel breasts



July 8, 1941. c. H. 'couLsoN CUTTING DEVICE FOR HEEL BREASTS Filed June 11, 1940 Z-Sheets-Sheet 2' Patented July 8, i941 rear {PH-615E 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for breastingheels.

An object of the invention is the provision of a machine for breasting heelblanks in such a manner that the heels will be known as the orthopedic type, the breasts being cut at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the heel blank instead of at right angles.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device for breasting heel blanks in which the blanks are moved along a longitudinal path and so positioned at the end of the path where the blank is to be cut that the longitudinal axis of the blank will be inclined at an acute angle to the line of travel whereby the knife descending transversely and at right angles to the path of travel will cut the breast of the heel at an acute angle to the line of travel.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cutter and cooperating bed shear plate in which the knife is provided with a plurality of convex and concave curved portions and with the knife being disposed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the heel blank so that when the cut is made the breast will be provided with concave and convex surfaces and the heel will be shorter along one edge than at the other.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device for cutting heels in which the knife is curved'so that a curved breast will be provided in the heel blank with the knife being set at such an angle to the longitudinal axis of the heel that one side of the heel will be longer than the other.

This invention will be best understood from a'consideration of the following detailed description', in view of the accompanying drawings forming a part of'the specification nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the machine for cutting heel breasts showing the heel in position for the cutting operation.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of a machine for positioning and cutting heel blanks.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan View of a ma chine showing means for diverting the heel blank from the lon itudinal axis of the machine to a position where it is at an acute angle to the line of travel. v Figure 4 is a view in perspective of a device for changing the position'of the heel blank before itis cut. t

Figure 5'is a plan View of a heel blank showing an angular. out of the breast.

Figure 6 .is a plan view of av bed shear plate for supporting a heel blank when concave and convex curves'are formed on the breast.

Figure Us a plan View of a heel blank which has beericut on the bedplate shown in Figure 6. Figure V8 is a horizont'al'section of a breasting knife shown in Figure 9.

, Figured is alview in perspective of a knife forcuttingcurved breasts. ,7 V

. Figure .10 Visa side. view of. a breasting knife forp'roducin'g: the, type of breast on a heel blank shown in; Figure .7;

Figurellis. a front View in elevation of the knifeshown'in' Figure 10.1

Figure 112 isa plan View of the same. Figure 13 is a view in perspective of the knife shownlihFiguresplO ,to.,12, inclusive.

Referringmore particularly. tocFigures 1 to 3,

inclusive, it will be'sieen' that fragmentary sec-i elements of, the heel. breastingv machine of the above mentioned patent are. illustrated and described as are necessary to' describe and illustrate the use of. the breasting elements;

Referring'mor'e particularly to Figure 2, it will beseen that'chainsifl'havingclamping elements 2 I' are oscillated back and forth so that the heels will be carried from the feedingend of the ma chine to a point beneath a'h'a'mmer 22 which Will compress the heels upon a movable plunger 23. After the compression'act the heels are then carried .ovenand deposited upon a bed' shear plate 24. .Mecha nisin not shown will cause a rod 25 to be moved.downwardly"and'engage the tops of the h'eeYbl'a'nk25'.- immediately thereafter a lever" generally designated by the numeral 2? is oscillated in the direction indicated by the arrowiin Fig. 2"soth'at abieast'engaging' member 35 'willbe moved into engagement with the breast and? force the heel blank" against st0ps' '2'9' for giving the heel blank a definite'positionbefore'.

the blank 26 is moved into operative relation with the knife 26 adjacent the breast for cutting the breast and for giving the breast a definite shape.

The breast engaging member 35 is securely mounted on a bridging member 36 indicated in dotted lines and this bridging member is carried by a pair of arms or legs 31 which constitute the operating member 21.

The breast engaging member 35 has its front edge, as shown at 38, sheared off at an angle so that when it engages the breast portion of the blank 26 it will cause the blank to turn as shown in Fig. 3 so that the longitudinal axis of the blank as indicated at 4|], will be out of alignment with the longitudinal center, indicated at 4|, of the machine. The line of the cut of the straight edge knife is indicated at 42 so that when the blank is moved into operative relation with the knife, transversely of the line 4|, and at right angles thereto, the blank will be cut at an angle to provide a breast 43 shown in Figure 5 which has its surface at an acute angle to the longitudinal center line 46 of the blank 26. Thus, it will be seen that this blank will have one side 44 shorter than the opposite side 45. In view of this particular construction of the breast engaging member 35, it will be unnecessary to remove the knife 30 while the usual bed shear plate has its cooperating front edges at right angles to the longitudinal line 4| of th machine. the breast engaging member which has a straight face by the member 35 shown in Figure 4 with the inclined front face, thereby eliminating loss of time and labor Where it is necessary to remove the knife and the bed shear plate because the breast engaging member 35 with its inclined face will change the position of the heel blank 25 before it is operated on by the breasting knife and a correct angular cut will be had, that is, the heel blank 26 has been slightly oscillated so that the line 40 passing through the longitudinal axis of the blank will be located at an acute angle to the line 4| which represents the longitudinal axis of the heel.

Where it is desired to provide a curved breast instead of the straight breast, shown at 43 in Figure 5, and where it is desired to produce not only a curved breast, but to provide a heel with one side shorter than the other a'curved knife may be employed for the purpose because the breast engaging member 35 when engaging the breast portion of the heel blank before it is cut will tilt the heel to the position shown in Figure 3 so that when the knife cuts through the heel blank a breast will be produced as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 8, as shown at 50 with the sides 5| of the blank shorter than the side 52.

The same type of heel just described may be produced by a different construction of knife and support as shown in Figure 9. A cutting edge 53 is provided at the lower end of a knife 54 which has a shank portion 55. Secured to the shank is a wedge plate 56 having a tapered portion 51 extending from one thin edge 58. to the wider edge 59. When this knife is secured in position on the knife holder with the wedge shaped member 56 seated against the knife holder a line passing through the ends 65 and 6| of the knife will be located at an acute angle to the longitudinal center line 4| of themachine. The cooperating edge 62 of the shear plate 63 will also be in alinement with the cutting edge 53 of the knife 54. However, in this case it will be necessary to substitute a different type of shear plate for the one previously used.

It is only necessary to replace In order to produce a breast in a heel like that shown in Figure 7, a special type of shear plate (Fig. 6) and a special type of knife (Figs. 10 to 13, inclusive) are required so that the breast will have a convex portion 65 and a concave portion 66. Since the concave portion terminates farther inwardly one side 6'! of the heel blank 66 said side will be shorter than the other side 69. It will be noted that the concave portion 66 merges into the convex portion 65 and this particular type of heel when completed is used in orthopedic shoes.

A knife 10 has a shank portion H which is adapted to be secured to the knife holder and the plate or knife is sheared as shown at 12 to provide a thin concavo-convex knife edge 13. A bed shear plate which is adapted to be used in connection with the knife shown in Figures 10 to 13, inclusive, and illustrated in Figure 6, has a convex portion and a concave portion 16 which is complementarily formed to the knife edge 13 so that when the knife edge makes a out said edge will be closely associated with the curved portions 75 and 16 of the plate TI. This plate is provided with bolts '15 for aiding in securing the plate in position on the bed of the machine for supporting the heel blank when it is being cut.

Referring more particularly to Figures 12 and 13, it will be be seen that the knife 10 is curved convexly as shown at 66 and concavely as shown at 8| to provide a concavo-convex knife edge 13. The concave portion 8| projects beyond one vertical face of the shank H and a shoulder 82 is formed between the convex portion and the shank.

A centering pin 83 projecting from one face of the shank 7| is adapted to be received within an opening of the knife holder in the heel machine. Perforations 84 and 85 are provided in the shank to receive bolts for securing the shank and likewise the knife to the holder.

As has been stated only those parts of the heel building machine have been shown which it is believed are necessary to show the application of the knives to the machine for the breasting of heels. The heels are applied to one end of the machine and they are gripped automatically by the spaced pair of clamping elements 2| and moved forwardly to a position above the member 23. The body of the machine is then elevated and the heel comes in contact with the compressing element 22 carried by the yoke standard I56. The heel is then compressed and the machine is lowered.

The chains are again reciprocated and a pair of the clamps clamped against the sides of the heel blank and the chains will move the blank to the shear plate 24. The back of the heel will be engaged by the stops 29 and the member 35 will be moved into engagement with the breast of the heel whereby the heel is promptly positioned. At the same time another heel blank is moved over the member 23. When the machine is again raised the breast of the heel will be moved into operative relation with the knife 36 and the member 25 pressing upon the blank will hold it in a predetermined position while the blank is being cut. Each time that the machine is raised a heel blank will be compressed on the member 23 and a heel blank which is located upon the shear plate will be cut to form the proper shape of the breast.

The member 21 has several movements and the first movement, which is slow, is adapted to properly position the heel blank against the stops 29 while the second movement, which is a kicking action, forces the heel blank 26 off the shear plate 24 so that another heel blank may be positioned thereon.

I claim:

1. In a machine for cutting breasts of heels, a breasting knife comprising a flat shank, said shank having a pair of flat faces and a shoulder extending laterally from the lower end of one face and at one side of the center of said shank, a curved blade projecting downwardly from the shoulder, a second curved blade projecting downwardly from the shank at the other side of the center and merging into the first-mentioned curved blade to form a continuous cutting edge, the second blade being confined between planes passing through the opposite fiat faces of shank, the blades being curved in opposite directions, one blade being curved along an are which has a smaller radius than the radius of the arc of the other curved blade.

2. In a machine for cutting breasts of heels, 3. breasting knife comprising a flat shank, said shank having a pair of flat faces and a shoulder extending laterally from the lower end of one face and at one side of the center of said shank, a curved blade projecting downwardly from the shoulder, a second curved blade projecting downwardly from the shank at the other side of the center and merging into the first curved blade to form a continuous cutting edge, the first mentioned blade being curved along an are which has a greater radius than the radius of the arc of the second blade, the cutting edge of the first I blade being located substantially to one side of a plane passing through the adjacent flat face of the shank.

3. In a machine for cutting breasts of heel blanks, a breasting knife, means feeding a heel blank along a longitudinal path beneath the breasting knife which is located at right angles to said path, a pair of spaced stops located in the path of the moving heel blank adapted to engage the curved rear portion of the heel and prevent further movement of said blank, the blankengaging portions of the stops being curved along an arc of a curve which conforms to the curvature of the engaged portion of the blank and forming a bearing for rocking the heel blank, means having a breast-engaging surf-ace inclined at an acute angle to the path of travel of the blank so that when said means engages the breast, the blank will be rocked in the bearing to place the breast at an acute angle to the longitudinal path, means retaining the blank in position beneath the knife, means actuating the breast-engaging means, and means moving the blank into engagementwith the knife for cutting the breast of the heel blank at an acute angle to the longitudinal center line of the heel.

CHARLES H. COULSCN. 

